Motion-picture machine.



W. 13. FEATHERSTONE.

MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION nun 1.111. as, 1907. mmnwnn AUG. 25, 1911.

Patented July 30, 1912.

MWEMHE I FIGB.

FIGZ

3G 98 5G I/6E PNR PMG PMB wimnssns W @nnrutnx his 1 m AB $11111 8km. mmm m.

UNITED sTArrEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD B. FEATHERSTONE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASS IGNOBTO HARRY S. WARREN, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters intent.

Application filed January 23, 1907, Serial No. 353,635. kenewed August25, 1911. Serial No. 646,034.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD B. FEATHER- STONE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented a new and useful Motion- Picture Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to therecording and reproduction of objects orscenes through rapidly successive photographic images, and has for itsobject the project-ion of a picture which shall show not only themotions of the original, but the colors as well, and without theundesirable flicker produced by the usual type of machine. I accomplishthis by making several (ordinarily three) series of negatives, eachthrough a difl'erently colored filter; then, after making positives inthe usual way, I project each series through a filter corresponding incolor with the one which modified its negative.

By a suitable design and arrangement of shutter and mechanism I causethe colors as projected to blend forming hues normal to the original,there being no perceptible flicker or unsteadiness of the reproduction.

.In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a portion of the machine and filmlooking toward the screen. Fig. 2 is a side .view showing the opticalarrangement and the direction of the projected rays. Fig. 3 is a topview, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a full size side view, showingreflecting prisms and a cam-.

wheel for tilting one of them. Fig. 5shows an alternate type of shutteras viewed from the rear. Fig. 5 shows section of same with a chromaticprism inside. Fig. 6 shows an alternative style of film and arrangementof objectives. Fig. 7 shows the latter film and three objectivesarranged for use with intermittent-feed mechanism. Fig. 8 shows athree-series film in one strip and a suggested arrangement of objectivesfor intermittent feed. Fig. 9, a similar film for alternating feed alsothe arrangement of film reels and lenses.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A is the film, which has three rows of positives,t-It, 7-R, 10R, etc.; 5-G, 8'G, ll-G, etc.; and 6-13, 9-13, 12-B, etc.;which I shall designate as series B, series G and series B. Series Ithas been printed from a series of negatives taken through a red filter;series G, through a green filter; and series B, through a blue filter.Now if an image from each series,

taken at the same time were projected simultaneously and coincident-1yupon the screen, each through a filter of its corre sponding color, theresultant blended colors would correspond with those of the original. Amachine designed to accomplish this alone would require anintermittent-feed mechanism, which is the chief cause of the flicker ofthe'usual present day machines. I.

therefore, employ a shutter, Y, Fig. l, which gradually, the effectbeing similar to that of a dissolving stereopticon, the darkening of oneimage be ing effected while those of the other two series are at maximumli ht. The shutter openings O-It, O-G and revolve before the objectivelenses Ir-R, LG and LB, respectively. The lightfrom the lanterntraverses the condensing lenses, K, Fig. 2, the film A, the movablereflecting prisms PM-R, PM-G and PM-B, Figs. 2 and 4, then thestationary reflecting prism, PS, and finally the objectives L-R, L-G andL-B, Fig. 3, and the shutter openings O-R, OG and 0-13, (Figs. 1 and 3)."The continuous motion of the film downward past the field is producedby the revolution exposes and darkens each series in turn, but

of sprocket wheels D, D, on shaft E, which shaft also carries thebevel-gear, F, and the cam-wheels CR, C-G and C-B, which operate to varythe angular positions of refleeting prisms PM-G, etc., by moving thelevers V-G, etc., about the fulcrum, U,

Fig. 4. The smaller bevel gear, H, on shaft, J, Figs. 1 and 3, revolvesat three times the speed of F, hence the shutter, Y, which is fixed toshaft, J, makes three revolutions while the sprocket-wheels, D, D, makeone. There are twelve sprockets on each wheel and four holes, Q, Q, toeach image of the film, hence the shutter makes one revolution while thefilm moves the vertical length of one image.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The light .from thecondenser, K, Fig. 2, traverses the images, 7-H, 8-G and 9-B. The lightthrough 7-H is refle cted by the prism PM-R which has been graduallytilted from the angle of PMB to its present angle by the action of camCR, Figs. 3 and 4, and is now about ready to be returned to the startingangle (same as PMB) by the spring, T. The angular motion of thereflecting surface counteracts the motion of the film and makes theimage appear sta- 1 10 tiona'ry on the screen after further reflectionthrough PS and projection through the objective LR and the opening OR inshutter, Y, Figs. 1 and 3. This opening has been diminishing inefi'ectiv aperture and is about to close entirely for a brief interval,during which the prism PM-R will quickly return to position PMB, Fig. 4,and will then begin to reflect the image 10R, Fig. 1, as the shutteropening, OR, gradually enlarges to reach a maximum, when the imagebecomes central and the prism reaches the position PMG, Fig. 4. Eachprism, in turn, tilts steadily from position PMB through position PM-Gto PMR, Fig. '4, and then, while the light is shut ofl", jumps back toposition PM-B and begins to reflect the next image of the series. Thus,while 7R is at lowest position, as shown in Figs.

1, and 4, 8-G is half-Way down and higher than 7R by a distance equal toone-third of the height of an image. 9B is at top position and justbeginning to show.

All three images are projected on' the screen, but 8G is momentarilybrighter than either 7-R or 9B, therefore the blended picture has agreenish cast. In one-third of a revolution of the shutter, 8-G will bedimmed by the reduction of shutter opening, G; 10-R will have taken theplace of 'T-R, and 9B will have full brilliancy, hence the blendedpicture will have a bluish cast. In another third of a revolution 9Bwill be dimmed, 11-G will take the place of 8-G, and lO-R will bebrighter, giving the picture a reddish cast, all of which occurs severaltimes each second, or so quickly that the eye cannot detect thevariations but will only receive an impression of the true colors of theoriginal.

The screw adjustment, W, Fig. 3, is for the purpose of changing thepositions of objectives, L-R, LG'and LB to register the threeconipotentimages when exhibiting at different distances from thescreen.

Instead of the disk shutter, Y, Fig. 1, I

could employ another style, Y, Fig. 5, giving two exposures to eachseries during each a revolution, but I have described the disk type asits operation is more easily understood.

Several alternative methods might be employed to produce effects similarto those herein described, as by having all three images (one of eachseries) side by side, as in Fig? 6, and stepping the mirrors andobjectives instead of the irna es.

The usual type of mach ne might be enlarged and given three lenses toaccommodate-such a film, Fig. 7, and suitable filters,

but this wouldstill involve shutting off all of the light at once andwould not eliminate the flicker, although the machine could, of course,be run more slowly and preserve the true colors.

Another modification for intermittentfeedwould use a narrow film withthe images of the several series all in one row, Fig. 8, and have theobjectives disposed vertically and some distance apart. In asingle-strip machine designed for dissolving efiects there would beloops of fihn X, X,

between stops, as shown in Fig. 9. The

slack film of each loop is taken up alternately by theintermittentfeeding mechanism, which pulls the film past the lensesimages of the same series are too far apart to be practicable.

.Still another alternative is to employ varying refraction instead ofreflection to keep the images registered, as an achromatic prism, P,within shutter, Y, Fig. 5.

My new machine offers the following additional advantages: Shorter film,wider (hence steadier) film, slower mot-ion of parts, continuous motionof film, very simple mechanism, both for recording and projection,little wear and tear of film and, of course, ideal efi'ects. Quite avariety of unusual and special effects may be produced with such amachine and specially prepared films, for instance, by making severalseries of negatives which have some relation to each other and may yethave been taken independently, the result being similar to thatsometimes produced with a dissolving stereopticon. Overlaid effects andspecial colorings may be introduced,in fact, the possibilities in thisdirection are almost unlimited. The use of color filters "in projection,or even inthe taking of the original negatives, is not the only Way toreproduce the hues of the original, as the film itself may bedyed, (sayin three different colors, as red, green and blue) and, in the case ofthe positive film, the positives are made by contact in the usual way,from negatives produced in the way heretofore described, and then thefilms may be run through set of three printing-rollers, each of whichwill dye a series, which, when projected will give about the same tintas the black and white positives would have given with a filter of thecorresponding color. In practice this will probably be done a greatdeal, as it is often considered desirable to produce effects whichovercolor or exaggerate the original.

I claim: v

1. In a motionapicture machine adapted to project a plurality of seriesof images simultaneously, a shutter'having apertures to expose an imageof each series in turn, and having the apertures overlapping to beganthe exposure of an image of one series before the preceding image hasbeen occulted.

2. In a motion-picture machine adapted to project simultaneously threeseries of images, continuous-feed mechanism for. the several series,periodically movable optical means for each series to counteract themotion of the successive images, and a. diflerent color filter for eachseries.

3.,-In a motion-picture machine, the combination of a frame,.a luralitof stationary lenses carried there y, a fi ter for each lens, eachfilter being of a dilferent color, and a shutter having an opening ofvarying width for each lens, the openingsoverlappmg'each other.

l. In a motion-picture machine, the comblnation of a frame, threestationary lenses carrled thereby, a filter of a different color foreach lens, and a circular shutter having are shaped openings withtapering ends, the ends of each opening overlapping the other twoopenings.

5. In a motion-picture'machine,adapted to transmit a plurality of seriesof images the combination of a frame, a plurality of statlonary opticaldevices to PIOJGCt th P ral series of'images along stationary lines,periodically movable optical means to counteract the motion of eachseries in turn, a color filter for each series, and a shutter havingopenings through which the images ay be alternately exposed.

6. In a motion-picture machine adapted to project simultaneously pluralseries of images, continuous-feed mechanism for the several series,periodically fnovable opt1cal means for each series to counteract themotion of the successive images, and a different color-filter for eachseries.

7 In a motion-picture machine, the combination of a frame, a pluralityof stationary lenses carried thereby, and a shutter having an opening ofvarying width for each lens, the openings overlapplng each other.

-8. In a motion-picture machine, the comblnation of aframe, threestationary lenses carried thereby, a filter of a different color foreach lens, and a circular shutter having arc-shaped openings, the endsof each opening overlapping the other two openings.

. 9. In an OPtlCal reproduction apparatus the combination with aplurality of lenses adapted to project plural series of images,continuous feed mechanism for the several "series, and periodicallymovable optical have been occulted.

11. In a mot-ion picture machine, optical means to projectsimultaneously three series of related images, a shutter having threeoverlapping apertures adapted to produce dissolving efiect's.

12. In a-motion-picture machine, optical means to project three seriesof images simultaneously, a shutter having apertures to expose an imageof each series in turn, the apertures overlapping to begin the exposureof an image of one series before the preceding image has been occulted.

13. In a motion-picture machine, optical means to project simultaneouslythree series of images, continuous feed-mechanism for the severalseries, and periodicallymovable optical means for each series tocounteract the motion of the successive images;

.WILLARD B. FEATHERSTONE.

Witnesses: j

Jnx J. MARTIN, JOHN A. Russian.

